The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs

by Simpson, John; Speake, Jennifer

• ISBN13: 9780192800848
• ISBN10: 0192800841
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-05-06
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Proof of the principle, the more the merrier , this is an expanded edition of an ever-popular dictionary. Now reissued and updated, this invaluable work of reference provides the reader with over 1,000 of the best-known English proverbs from around the world. For this third edition the explanatory material has been expanded and new proverbs added including "Never say never," "It takes one to know one," "The devil is in the details," and "If you want something done, ask a busy person." Key features of the third edition : * Updated to include every major proverb in use in the twentieth century * Quotations provide a fascinating history of each proverb * Thematic index helps you find proverbs on subjects ranging from boasting to weddings

Author Biography

About the Editors John Simpson is Chief Editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, and a Fellow of Kellogg College, Oxford. He is the editor, with John Ayto, of the Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang.

Jennifer Speake is a freelance writer. She is the editor of the Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases and is currently preparing a dictionary of idioms, to be published by OUP in 1999.

Table of Contents

Introduction	ix
Abbreviations	xiii
Dictionary	1	(304)
Bibliography	305	(3)
Index	308